


Plus One

by Mcusekat



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Diplomacy, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Fake/Pretend Relationship, M/M, Post TLJ, bed sharing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-03
Updated: 2018-03-03
Packaged: 2019-03-26 15:40:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13860825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mcusekat/pseuds/Mcusekat
Summary: Supreme Leader Kylo Ren is invited to a gala by a First Order benefactor. He brings General Armitage Hux as his reluctant plus one.





	Plus One

It was a mere month into Supreme Leader Kylo Ren’s rule that Ren was to attend his first meeting. It was with some rich old hag named Reima Tersu who was considering making a large donation to the Order, and the meeting itself was prefaced by a large dinner with hundreds of other wealthy beings in attendance. As the Supreme Leader of the Order Ren was expected to talk with the woman, charm her into donating. Hux wasn’t entirely sure why he of all the generals was expected to come as well, but he suspected it had something to do with Ren not wanting to be alone at the dinner. He was almost glad that Ren was dragging him along because the Order needed the credits, especially after their skirmish with the Resistance took one of their dreadnoughts, and he didn’t want Ren’s attitude and general unpleasantness to dissuade the woman from rescinding her offer. He’d never seen Ren in a cordial environment, and shuddered to think what it might be like. The image of a bantha in a porcelain shop came to mind.

  Hux scowled at his reflection in the mirror. He was dressed in civilian clothes: a dark colored tunic with a leather belt and a cloak around his shoulders. In an hour’s time he would be touching down on Coruscant where Tersu had rented out an entire hotel for her guests. Because of crowding Hux and Ren were expected to share a room. It would be rude to protest, despite how much Hux wanted to.

Hux fidgeted with his hair for the hundredth time before placing himself on the bench and waiting for the ship to land.

As they unloaded off the ship he found Ren oddly quiet. He seemed calmer, or unperturbed at the very least. Since Snoke’s death, and after the dust had settled from their skirmish with the Resistance, Ren seemed more mellow. Of course, Hux had been so busy as of late that he’d hardly seen Ren for more than a few moments at a time, but he hadn’t received any reports of Ren destroying equipment or enacting violence on his Stormtroopers since the fight. Hux had prepared to see an increase in these incidents after he’d been rejected by the scavenger girl, he was glad to see that he’d been proven wrong. It did ignite some curiosity in him as to why, though. He always assumed Ren’s terrible attitude had something to do with Snoke. Hells, after Snoke’s takeover all those years ago even Hux had often felt the inclination to punch anything and everything until he broke his fist. Kylo had spent much more time with the creature, and combined with already poor attitude problems, Snoke likely exacerbated them. That was Hux’s theory, at least. He’d had much time to come up with it when he was creating a budget during the wee hours of the night for the things that Ren broke. He wasn’t about to ask Ren to confirm if it was true, though.

The cab to the hotel was equally as silent. Ren stared out of the window, at the buildings that appeared as colorful blurs as they darted through the city. Hux typed on his datapad, reading over a list of the other guests at the gala. There would be a mix of people, most rich and high in the ranks, unconcerned with the politics of the galaxy unless it affected their wealth. Hux had considered the idea of bringing a guard along though, just in case. Security would be tight during the event, but he and Ren were both high profile targets, and in the chaos of such a large gathering a potential assassin would find many chances to take one of them out. Ren had refused, citing himself as the best guard he’d find. Which, yes, a mind reader with the ability to stop blaster bolts in mid air makes pretty formidable guard. But Hux wouldn’t be by his side all night. Hux knew that Ren had set his mind on not bringing a guard, and Hux also knew that when Ren had his mind set it would be pointless to try to change it. So he’d relented and decided that, should he be assassinated, he would use his last breath to say “I told you so,” to Ren.

Neither spoke to each other until they were on Coruscant. They’d entered the hotel room, Ren a few paces behind him.

It was nice, dimly lit, brown and gold in color. In the center of the room, pushed perpendicular to the east wall was a single large bed. Hux froze in his tracks and said, “There’s only one bed.”

He checked his keycard, then Ren’s. They both had the same number.

Hux contacted the front desk. They picked up after a few rings.

“Hello, yes this is Armitage Hux in room 703. I believe there has been an error in the booking. We were supposed to have two beds, but there is only one.”

Ren stayed where he was, watching Hux with a hint of amusement.

“My apologies, sir. However we are at full capacity at the moment and have no two-bed rooms available at the moment.”

“Is there another single-bed room?”

Unfortunately, we are at full capacity-”

Hux ended the transmission with a curse, not bothering to listen to the receptionist’s spiel. Five bloody days, he thought, scowling at the bed.

“The bed is large enough for the both of us,” Ren said, a smirk in his tone.

Hux turned his scowl to him, but he hated the way Ren was being more mature than him. He fought the urge to cross his arms over his chest with an equally childish huff. “I suppose so.”

“Don’t worry, General, I promise I don’t have germs.”

A million snide responses entered Hux’s brain, but instead he bit his tongue. It was late and the dinner was tomorrow. He needed to put his things away then clean up and get ready for bed.

~

Hux emerged from his shower to find Ren sitting on the bed in nothing but his underwear- a pair of black boxer briefs. The boxers covered little, he could see the outline of everything Ren possessed.  Hux wasn’t intending to look at Ren’s groin but like a particularly gruesome grav car accident his eyes were inexplicably drawn to it. He tore his eyes away, looking anywhere but at Ren’s crotch.

“You will be putting more clothes on, won’t you?” he said, voice tense.

“I cannot sleep with clothes on. You’re lucky I’m wearing anything at all,” Ren said, not even bothering to look away from the holovision.

Hux pinched the bridge of his nose. “It’s bad enough that we must share a bed, you can’t make things easier?”

Ren gave him a dry look. “My dick is covered, I fail to see-”

“Stop, I don’t care.”

Ren’s lip curled into a smirk, but Hux brushed him off and walked to his side of the bed. He laid down beneath the covers. Ren turned the holovision off and got beneath the covers as well. The room was dark save for the bright, twinkling lights of the city. The entire north wall was a window, tinted on one side so the city could not see into their room. When Hux was young, living on Arkanis, he used to watch the holovision and see images of Coruscant. He’d never seen such vivid colors on the dull, rainy planet he was born on. He longed for the city, the noise, the thrill, the anonymity of being one of a billion people. When he’d first visited Arkanis for some First Order event, he was older, a lieutenant. He found the city nearly as dull as Arkanis, just with more things filling the empty spaces. It was all just as meaningless, just as empty. Just noises and visuals to entice the mind.

Ren shifted behind him and sighed, jarring Hux from his thoughts. He could feel the heat he radiated and turned to make sure Ren hadn’t moved closer while his back was turned. He hadn’t.

“Move over,” Hux said.

“I can’t.”

Hux sat up, verifying that there was, indeed, room for Ren to move over. “Yes you can,” he said.

“If I move any further I’ll fall off the bed in my sleep,” he said, scowling at Hux.

“I do not care,” Hux said.

Kylo turned away from him and Hux realized that this would be yet another losing battle with Ren.

He laid in bed, on top of the covers, and eventually fell asleep.

Ren wasn’t a snorer, thank the gods. However, when he woke up that morning Ren had migrated across the bed until there was approximately two centimeters between them. Hux was nearly off the bed with how close he’d been scooted to the edge. He backed up and his back came into contact with Ren’s naked chest. Ren, still sleeping, automatically tossed his arm over Hux’s waist and drew him in. Hux froze for a second before reacting. “Ren,” he snarled.

Ren may as well have been dead to the world. Hux jabbed his sharp elbow into Ren’s rib, hitting the bowcaster wound. Ren grunted in pain and rolled off of him, and Hux immediately climbed out of the bed.

“Get up you oaf, we need to get ready.”

Ren sighed and turned onto his stomach. There was time, so Hux decided not to fight him. He ordered breakfast and sipped caf while watching the HoloNews.

The door buzzer sounded and Ren, who was awake but only barely, got up to answer it. Wordlessly, he accepted the tray of food from the servant and brought it in.

“I didn’t know what you wanted so I just ordered you what I got,” Hux said. He took a plate and sat back in his seat. Ren took the other chair across from him.

When they had finished eating, Hux began to get ready for the dinner. When he emerged from the bathroom after a water shower where he scrubbed every inch of himself, he found Ren laying out his own outfit for the bed. A tension in his shoulders released at the realization that Ren had, in fact, brought something formal to wear to the gala. It wasn’t half bad, either. A black tunic with a black belt and a black cloak. Not garish, but a bit on the simple side.

“Is there a problem?” Ren asked, crossing his arms.

“No,” Hux said. He passed by Ren and walked to the table, pouring himself another cup of caf. The next few hours would be spent before a mirror, carefully combing and styling his hair and using makeup to hide the permanent dark circles that underlined his eyes. He always hated dolling himself up for formal events such as these. He was in the military, he felt as though he needn’t make himself look easier to look at. But he’d been around high society enough to know that imperfections were unacceptable in their eyes.

Ren tugged on his trousers and tunic in haste, smoothing over the fabric before walking to the bathroom to tame his hair. He didn’t bother closing the door behind him so Hux watched idly as he combed it out. When Ren had first boarded the _Finalizer_ there had been a minor squabble about Ren’s hair. It was far past the military standards, and if Ren was supposed to be a part of the First Order’s military Hux felt that that meant he must conform to their dress codes as well. Ren, however, felt that he was special and deserve special treatment. Hux knew that if Ren didn’t want to cut his hair, Hux could not force him. He wasn’t a Stormtrooper and could not be punished as one. So his ridiculous hair remained. Some part of Hux was almost glad for that. Hux had always found long hair on men incredibly attractive. Perhaps it was because long hair was forbidden in Academy so Hux saw it as some sort of rebellious thing. He couldn’t quite explain it but he’d had fantasies of fisting his hand in Ren’s hair and using it as leverage as he directed Ren on his cock. They were usually followed by shame and disgust at pleasuring himself to the person who had been the source of most of his problems in the last five years.

Ren tied his hair up neatly at the nape of his neck. Hux hated how nice Ren looked. It was undeniable that the man was attractive. Before he’d seen Ren beneath that horrid mask he’d imagined, hoped, that he was some disgusting, disfigured monster-looking being. He was disappointed to learn that he was actually quite nice to look at. With how aggressive and petulant he was, he didn’t have the face to match.

“You’ve been staring at me all morning,” Ren spoke.

“Apologies,” Hux said, turning his gaze to his cup. It was empty now. He considered pouring himself another glass, but decided against it.

When he looked up Ren was still staring at him, eyes narrowed. Hux scowled. “What do you want?”

“I should ask you the same question.”

Hux rolled his eyes. “You dwell on things too much.” His fingers twitched towards the pack of cigarras on the table, so he took the opportunity to escape to the balcony for a smoke. The sun was rising over the skyline now, and the city was alive beneath him. He looked down at the grav-cars on the road, darting to wherever it was they were going. He took a long drag. The air in the city was stale and hot, even during the early morning. He inhaled the smoke and let it burn his lungs before releasing it to dissipate into the breeze.

He finished his cigarra and snuffed it out on the railing. He slipped the end back into his pack and re-entered the room, hands steadier and mind clearer.

“Nasty habit,” Ren remarked, still in the bathroom.

“I will not have you of all people lecture me on bad habits,” Hux said, and Ren gave him a pointed look from the mirror. Hux joined him in the bathroom and brushed the taste of smoke from his teeth. After that he began the arduous process of making himself look acceptable. He started with his hair, parting it in a three-fourths part, combing it to the side. He used copious amounts of product to keep his hair in place. His hair was thin, wiry, and prone to coming undone so he needed to be sure that it wouldn’t come out of place before the night was through. Once that was complete he began applying small amounts of makeup to the darkness beneath his eyes and the lines around his mouth.

Ren was finished first. He looked good in his formal outfit. It was close fitting, but not tight and accentuated the shape of his body.  His hair was pulled back into a tie, neatly combed. He looked so alluring like this. Hux felt the sudden urge to drag Ren to the bed and pry those expensive garments off of him.

When the time came, they exited their room and made their way to the dining hall. There were throngs of being there already, chatting. There was many tables, each sitting a party of six. Everyone had assigned seating, when they’d entered the hall and given the doorman their name they were each given a number. 42. They found it easily and sat. Four Zabraks joined them. In the twenty minutes before the food was served Hux learned that they’d arrived to the gala together, that two were heirs from Iridonia, and the other two were their spouses.

Ren spoke little during the dinner, only when spoken to. Hux chatted with the Zabraks amicably, about banal things like activities on Coruscant and the weather.

The dinner section of the occasion was blessedly short, only two courses before they were moved to a large ballroom with live music to mingle and drink with the other guests.

The hostess, Reima Tersu, greeted them not long after they entered the ballroom.

“Kylo Ren,” she greeted chipperly, then handed them each a drink. “And this is who you’ve brought as your date? General Armitage Hux, correct?”

Date?

“Yes,” he said, offering a smile. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“I must say, I’ve heard much about you, General,” she said, a grin on her face.

“Only good things, I hope,” he said, allowing a smirk on his lips. The woman laughed.

“I’ve heard you weren’t one for parties. I’m surprised to see you here at all, but certainly glad.”

Ren chuckled. “It was quite the fight to get him to leave his precious starship. Of course he’s enjoyed every moment of our visit so far,” Ren said, nudging Hux playfully. “Perhaps he should heed my suggestions more often, I tend to be correct most of the time.”

Ren and Tersu laughed together, Tersu looking absolutely charmed. Hux couldn’t laugh, he was too busy wondering if he’d fallen into a wormhole to an alternate dimension where Ren was charming and adored by rich elderly women and was also his boyfriend.

“Unfortunately, I must greet the other guests as well. I’ll find you two later this evening. I’d love to talk more. Ta, love,” she said, placing an affectionate hand on Ren’s arm before disappearing into the crowd.

“Why does that woman seem to believe we’re together?” Hux asked.

“Because I told her we’re dating.”

This created more questions than it answered. “And why?”

Ren rolled his eyes, as if Hux was being the nonsensical one. “It was the only way I could bring you along.”

“And why did you insist on bringing me along?”

“Because you’re better with banal chitchat than I am.”

Hux wasn’t sure if he was flattered or offended by the statement. “Fine, I’ll play along with your ridiculous game. Don’t think that means I’m not going to smother you in your sleep for dragging me into this. Now, go fetch me another drink, would you dear.” He presented his empty glass to Ren and Ren scowled at him before whisking away elsewhere to get Ren a drink.

Hux glanced around the room. People were still filing in the door at a steady rate, but the gala was beginning to pick up. Ren returned quickly with another glass and handed it to Hux. It was a different drink now, brandy by the taste of it. Ren knew him well, he thought before sipping the drink appreciatively.

“Should we mingle?” Hux suggested.

Ren shrugged, and together they walked toward the center of the room. Hux glanced around, looking for someone to talk to. He wasn’t sure of the makeup of the collection of people here. He knew that, after what they’d done in the past few months, many would find them controversial. However, another woman early into her years approached he and Ren before Hux had the chance. She didn’t seem to be wealthy. Rather, she was quite average looking in all ways. Plain brown hair pulled into a tie, dull brown eyes, a dress shirt and pants that were probably used for every slightly formal event from how well worn they appeared to be. Hux hid the disdain he felt when she spoke to him.

It was as though she was going through a mental list of how to greet someone. She made eye contact, smiled, and offered a hand to shake. “I’m Kytra Erisam. You’re General Hux, from the First Order aren’t you?”

She didn’t seem to be disgusted with him. In fact, she seemed quite excited to meet him. What for, Hux couldn’t be sure, so he proceeded with caution, but tried to match her happy demeanor.

“Yes, that would be me,” he said. He shook her hand firmly.

“I’m afraid I don’t recognize you,” she said, turning to Ren.

“This is my partner, Kylo Ren,” Hux said. They shook hands as well, and Kytra’s eyes lit up.

“Partner?” she asked. Hux was uneasy at the question, wondering why she would care about the nature of their relationship.

“Boyfriend,” Ren offered, placing a hand on the small of Hux’s back. Hux fought the urge to move away from him.

“You’re Supreme Leader of the Order now, yes?” she asked Ren, and Hux eased at her changing the topic from their relationship.

“Yes, as of a month ago,” Ren said easily. His hand remained on Hux’s back.

“Is it difficult to maintain a relationship when you work so closely together?” she asked. “I can imagine it spurs some horrible rumors. People accusing you of partiality, for example.”

 _Hells_ , Hux thought. She was really stuck on this topic. Hux began looking for an out. Anything.

“Not particularly. Taj and I didn’t achieve our ranks by means of unprofessionalism. We’re both able to keep our relationship from muddling things up during duty. Our crew has worked with both of us long enough to recognize our individual skills and adroitness that they wouldn’t even consider favoritism.”

The girl nodded. “How long have you been together?”

“Nearly two years in Telona, now,” Ren said, a note of pride in his voice. Hux faked a smile as well, though he was growing more on edge by the second. He didn’t trust this girl, she had a motive and Hux wasn’t sure what it was.

“Is marriage on the table?” she asked, grinning cheekily.

“Perhaps,” Hux responded, sensing that he’d been too quiet in the conversation. “Our families have different views on marriage, though, and neither are in a hurry to get bureaucracy and religion involved in our relationship. But neither of us are adverse to it.”

The response seemed to please the girl. “It was lovely talking to you both, I’ll stop bothering you now,” she said, then shook both their hands and departed.

Hux pulled Ren to a more private table and sat him down. “What was that about?” he asked.

“I’m not sure.”

Hux blinked at him. “You didn’t read her mind to figure it out?”

“No. I checked to make sure she wasn’t a threat and moved on to the other ten thousand people at this party,” he said, a note of annoyance in his tone. “She made you uncomfortable, sure, but she wasn’t going to kill us. That was my concern.”

“She may do something worse. Now we won’t bloody know until it's too late.” Hux downed the last of his drink and thrust the empty glass at Ren. Ren took it with more force than necessary and stalked to the bar. He came back quickly and gave Hux a new glass of brandy.

“I wouldn’t worry about her. She was likely just a nosy brat sticking her nose where it doesn’t belong. I doubt we’ll ever hear of her again.”

Hux looked at Ren wearily. Across the table from him, bathed in the dim golden light, he looked younger. Softer. Hux looked away from him.

The rest of the night was uneventful. They mingled. Ren could be quite winsome when he wanted to be, Hux learned. Perhaps the force had something to do with it, but nary a person they’d spoken to that evening walked away without being absolutely charmed by Ren. It was incredible to watch this moody arsehole who’d cost Hux thousands of credits in repairs because of his temper tantrums act like a likable person.

Tersu joined them at the end of the night for more drinks and more chatter. She, along with a handful of other beings in her close circle, all sat on a circular couch towards the back of the room and talked about nothing. Hux had little doubt that she would finalize her donation. Ren had mostly talked to her that evening. They had a history, Hux realized. He wasn’t sure when he’d had the chance to befriend old women, Ren rarely left the _Finalizer_ and when he did it was usually to some barren old Sith planet to retrieve some artifact for Snoke. However, when the evening concluded he asked Ren about his mother, if he’d talked to her recently. Ren tensed up for a moment, just a fraction of a second.

“Not as of late.”

“Nor have I,” she said, a little sadly. The emotion quickly passes. “Anyways, I believe you would both love to discuss my donation in more detail. I shall be free tomorrow around noon. I’ll send an address to your communicator. I’m completely drained. Unfortunately, alcohol just makes me tired nowadays,” she said. “Good night, boys. I’ll be seeing you.”

Ren and Hux stayed just a bit longer than Tersu, taking advantage of the alcohol before retiring to their room. Hux didn’t realize how drunk he was until they were in an empty hallway and he found that he needed to lean on Ren to not tip over. Ren chuckled at him as he clung to him, but he was just as drunk. They made it to their room and fell into bed, still clinging to each other.

Hux was wrought with exhaustion as soon as he hit the bed. He needed to shower, wash the crap from his hair, and he absolutely could not sleep in his formal uniform. However, the idea of leaving Ren’s grasp sounded less appealing than sleeping in hair gel and expensive clothing. The shred of rational though left in his mind prevailed, though, and he climbed up and began unclothing at the table in the room. He could feel Ren’s eyes on him as he did so. He wasn’t nude, only in his boxer-briefs and an undershirt.

“Do you see something you like?” he asked, only mostly joking.

“Perhaps,” Ren said.

Hux turned to him and frowned. Ren had been flirty all night, touching him every opportunity he got. Hux had assumed he was just playing it up for whomever they talked to, but now he was thinking otherwise.

Hux chose to ignore the comment, though. As much as he would like to stride over and let Ren take him, he knew that he would come to regret it in the morning. Instead he took a long shower and went to sleep with ample room between he and Ren.

~

Hux woke up after Ren the next evening. He felt fine, if not a little weary from the alcohol. He made a mug of caf and joined Ren at the table.

“Have you heard from Tersu yet?” he asked.

Ren glanced up at him, but his eyes immediately darted elsewhere. Hux immediately felt suspicious. He hadn’t been so drunk last night that they’d done anything that Ren would need to be weird about, so Ren’s reason for avoidance stemmed from elsewhere.

“What?”

“What do you mean what?”

“I mean, what’re you acting like that for? You’re being suspicious.”

Ren stared at him for a moment. “Well, do you remember that girl we talked to last night.”

Hux crossed his arms.. “The one you said would be no trouble? Yes, I do.”

Ren scowled, but continued. “She was a tabloid journalist, and wrote an article about us.” Ren turned his datapad so Hux could see it, and Hux grabbed it from his hands.

“FIRST ORDER GENERAL HUX SLEEPING WITH KYLO REN?” It was titled. Hux immediately felt the urge to roll his eyes.

The article itself was sensationalized and exaggerated to the extreme. The article painted them as lovesick, barely able to keep their hands off each other. Throughout the whole article, which was mostly speculation about aspects of their relationship, there was no mention of the billions of people they had killed, or their military rank at all (aside from titles before their names).

The post was incredibly popular, having only been posted early that morning and already received thousands of comments, mostly requesting more information on them. Hux was disgusted. He wanted to kill Kytra Erisam with his bare hands.

“I can’t believe this,” Hux said. “There’s bloody… tabloid articles about us? This is your farking fault, you know. This whole venture was your idiotic idea”

“What do you propose we do about this?” Ren asked, ignoring Hux’s admonishments.

“Nothing, we pretend it doesn’t exist. If anyone else in the First Order brings it up we shall dispel the rumors. I highly doubt anyone in the Order reads such filth anyways.”

“Very well,” Ren said.

Hux went about his day, taking a long, very hot shower and scrubbing himself clean. He dressed in civvies and emerged. There was still many hours before they had to meet with Tersu. Hux didn’t feel like going out so he sat in the chair and began working on his datapad. Phasma had messaged him. She had been released from the medbay after a long stint in the bacta tank, but she was still on orders of bedrest. He was confused as to what reason she would have to contact him. He opened the message.

‘ _You and Ren are together??_ ’

“Fucking hells,” Hux muttered. Holonet was banned on the _Finalizer_ , but Phasma had always bent the ruled since her and Hux were so close. She was the last person he would have suspected read Holonet trash, though.

‘ _We aren’t bloody together, it’s just some trashy tabloid fabricating stories for cheap credits. If I recall correctly, Holonet is considered contraband, captain. It would be a shame if you got your datapad taken away whilst confined to bed for another month._ ’

Phasma’s response was immediate, though it contained a simple ‘ _;)_ ’ and nothing else. Hux made a face at the screen. He wondered why she and Ren weren’t better friends, they were both insufferable arseholes when they wanted to be.

Ren was across from him still. His hair was messy, damp from a shower but not quite completely dry yet. Hux kept his eyes on his datapad, but he couldn’t stop his mind from wandering to Ren. Ren, who had more or less admitted attraction to him that night. Hux wasn’t sure how to feel about that. On one hand, he’d long come to terms with the fact that he would love to be bedded by Ren. However, there was a hundred reasons why that would be a terrible idea. Of course, Ren had been much calmer and more rational (disincluding all the dumb decisions he’d made on this trip alone) since Snoke had been killed. If he kept it up, Hux wouldn’t be adverse to pursuing something with him.

He frowned at his own thoughts. Ren acts like a decent human being for a couple weeks and all of a sudden he’s ready and willing to get into bed with Ren? He looked up at the man in question and found him still staring at his datapad. He looked up at Hux and their eyes met for a moment. Ren was unreadable, where Hux could usually see every expression painted clearly on his face.

Hux looked away first, groping for the pack of cigarras in his pocket. He exited to the balcony with nary a word and quickly lit up to take a deep draw of smoke. He was losing his mind, he decided. It was the planet. The claustrophobic feel of being positioned amongst mile high building in a room stacked like cargo boxes amongst the others. Being in this hotel room, sleeping so close to Kylo bloody Ren. He was like a different person now. He felt suddenly like the universe had shifted an inch, like everything was only slightly wrong.

He took another drag and held it in, letting the burn of the smoke in his lungs ground him. It was just a city, he thought. Just a hotel room. Just a bed. Just a magazine article. Just Ren. The same old Ren but without the thorn in his side to aggravate him. The same could be said about himself. Ren was much more hands on as Supreme Leader than Snoke was. Rather than delegate the tasks to an already overtasked Hux, Ren actually performed his duties so Hux had more time to himself than he had since Snoke’s takeover.

He leaned on the railing and sighed. He couldn’t wait to get back on the _Finalizer_. He hated this city and everyone in it.

He went back into the hotel room. Ren was staring at him, looking concerned. “Are you well?” he asked. The discomfort in his tone told Hux that he didn’t show concern often.

“I’m fine,” he said before crossing the room to brush his teeth.

Ren followed him, standing in the doorway. His shoulders were slouched, his hands relaxed at his side. He looked nervous. Hux chose to ignore him until Ren spoke.

“We should talk.”

“Why?” Hux asked.

“I can… feel your thoughts. With the force. When you think about me it’s as though your mind calls to me. On the _Finalizer_ I could ignore it, but here it’s impossible.”

Hux froze, gripping his toothbrush with white knuckles.

“The things I think of you are not of import,” he said pointedly.

“I would not be adverse to pursuing a relationship with you. Whether it’s casual or something serious. This need not be acted upon now.”

With that, Ren left the doorway and went back to the table. Hux stared at his reflection for a moment, completely still but his mind moving at a thousand words per second.

~

The meeting with Tersu went well. She mostly chatted with he and Ren, but finalized her donation. Towards the end, after business was concluded she brought up the article. She must have noticed the way Hux tensed at the mention of it because she offered a kind smile before placing a hand on Hux’s shoulder. “The types of people who read tabloid articles have a short attention span. In a week nobody will even remember that it exists,” she assured him. “Besides, after everything you guys have achieved as of late, it may be beneficial for you to seem more human. What better way to do that than show that you are in love?”

After talking with her, Hux didn’t quite want to go back to the hotel so soon. It was two more days before they were due back on the Finalizer, he couldn’t bear to spend all that cooped up in the hotel room.

He brought up a map of the city when they exited the building. Ren looked over at him curiously. “Are you looking for somewhere to go?”

“Do you have any suggestions?”

“Neither of us have eaten yet,” he said.

Hux considered it. He was still on edge about the article written about them despite Tersu’s attempts to make it into a good thing, so he didn’t want to be anywhere where a lot of other people were. He told this to Ren, who said he knew a quiet place they could eat at.

The place turned out to be a small diner an hour away by taxi, on the outskirts of the senate district. It was a homely little place, with a flickering neon sign that read ‘Dex’s Diner’ and a few older model grav-cars in the lot. The decor was old fashioned, though that may be because the diner itself appeared to be older than Hux. When they seated themselves at a booth in the back a holo from a screen on the table emerged with a list of foodstuffs for them to select from.

“You’ve been here before?” Hux asked Ren after the waitress departed.

“A few times, yes,” he said. Ren was tightlipped about his past, Hux knew he wouldn’t get any more from him.

“What would you recommend?”

“The nerf steaks are quite good.”

Hux selected that and sat back. Ren chose some sort of stew.

They ate in comfortable silence. Hux was enjoying the actual food, a warm meal that wasn’t prepared via nanowave in the hotel’s basement or bland, tasteless calories packed into a bar. When they were finished they began chatting over caf. About nothing, everything. When he wasn’t throwing a tantrum, smashing things, or being generally intolerable he found that he enjoyed Ren’s company. He ruminated on Tersu’s words, and Ren’s offer. He could easily imagine himself with Ren, he found. Tersu’s words had added a professional angle to it. He could be in a relationship with him, if it could also be a public relations front as well. That settles it then, he thought. He was going to sleep with Ren.

Ren paid and they wandered the area for awhile, going in and out of stores, killing time. There was nothing that interested him, but it was better than sitting around reading reports.

When it was getting to be dark they hailed a grav-cab and went back. Hux had made a few purchases, and when they got back in the room he set them on the nightstand.

He began thinking of ways to further things, now. Ren was meditating quietly on the bed. He could walk up and kiss him, but Hux thought it best to not suddenly touch a trained killer as he rested. He could just tell him, but that wasn’t very sexy at all and wouldn't set the mood well. What he needed was a middle ground between the two. Hux was out of practice with anything concerning romance, though. All ideas coming to his mind felt awkward and terrible. It doesn’t matter, he thought. As soon as the words left his lips they would, hopefully, be moving on to other things. He doubted Ren would care about his intonation and actions.

Hux swallowed and got up. It was a few short strides to where Ren was sitting on the bed.

“Ren,” he said.

Ren stirred. “Hm?”

He carefully placed a hand on either side of Ren’s face and leaned in for a kiss. It was slow at first, giving Ren ample room to move away. But Ren apparently had no reservations and kissed back eagerly. Ren wasted no time in placing his hands on Hux’s body, touching wherever he can with flat palms, displacing Hux’s clothing in the process. Hux obliged happily. He shoved his hands in Ren’s hair, holding him close as if Ren would even think about pulling away. The angle was poor though. They were both craning their necks to reach each other, and Hux could already feel soreness blooming at the top of his spine.

“Ren,” he gasped when they pulled away for air. He leaned into him, unwilling to move far. Ren’s hands snuck under the hem of his clothes, touching the skin of his lower belly almost reverently. It felt like fire where their skin met.

“Yes?”

“Lie back,” he said.

Ren didn’t. Rather, he manhandled Hux easily to lay beneath him. Yes, Hux was thin but at over six feet tall he wasn’t light. He knew Ren was strong but he couldn’t help but be impressed with the ease at which Kylo handled him. Perhaps it was because Hux was already half hard and desperate but he found the fact extremely erotic.

Ren moved quickly to remove his belt, then push his shirt up to reveal his belly. He sat up to pull it off the rest of the way, and tossed it aside He immediately placed his hands on his bare skin, followed by his lips. Starting at his throat he moved down, down planting a trail of small kisses until he reached the waistband of Hux’s trousers. Hux raised his hips but Ren looked up at him for vocalized permission to go further, which Hux readily granted.

He undid the clasp and shucked them off with his boxer-briefs. They were discarded elsewhere, along with Hux’s shirt. There was nary a second between Hux’s pants coming off and Ren’s hand on either of Hux’s thighs. He separated them and climbed between, then took Hux’s cock in his hand. Hux gasped, his fingers tightening in the sheets. Without lubricant to ease the dry friction Ren went slow. He needed more, though. Anything more. It had been far too long since he’d been touched and Hux was anxious to come. There would be time to explore each other, Hux just needed to get off.

Ren shivered. Perhaps he’s heard Hux’s desires because he suddenly kneeled down and placed the head of Hux’s cock in his mouth. Hux had to stiffen his entire body to not buck into his mouth, especially when he lavished his tongue over it. He pushed his hands into Ren’s hair, trying his best not to tug but begging Ren to move. Ren obeyed, taking Hux further and further down his throat until his nose was pressed against Hux’s lower belly. Ren’s throat was tight and hot, it was all he could do to not thrust into him when every cell in his body wanted more. He began pulling off again, running his tongue over his length as he did so. He moved faster, humming and moaning and swallowing on Hux’s cock. He was close, so close to orgasm, finally. He tugged on Ren’s hair as a warning, knowing that he couldn’t form any words in his current state and not even bothering to try. Ren only pulled up a little, keeping the head of his cock in his mouth and finishing Hux off with his hand. He swallowed Hux’s load with ease, only a small amount dribbling from the corner of his mouth. He wiped it away with the back of his hand.

After Hux regained some of his senses he pulled Ren up to him.

“You don’t need to,” Ren said.

Hux gave him an odd look. Had he really pegged him as a selfish lover? Hux was slightly offended, but ignored that. “I want to,” he said before dragging Ren in for a kiss.

Ren wasn’t even undressed yet, so he worked on that first. He’d already seen most of Ren already, thanks to his propensity for sleeping almost nude. But it was still as though he was unwrapping a gift as he peeled Ren’s clothes off.

His body was scarred. The most significant one was the bowcaster wound, clear as day still since he’d refused bacta for it. He had several other ones as well, all over. Hux ran his fingers over the bowcaster one, then traced three parallel scratches on his shoulder that seemed to be from a human hand. Ren shuddered. When he looked up Ren was watching him, eyes dark. He pushed upwards and closed the space between their lips and dragged him back down to the bed. He could taste traces of his own cum on Ren’s tongue, which he somehow found equally as repulsive as it was erotic. He groped for the oil he had surreptitiously placed on the nightstand and poured some on his hand, then raised his hips up and jerked him off. Ren used his free hand to touch Hux wherever he could, taking in as much of him as he could. Ren buried his face in the crook of Hux’s neck, mouthing at the skin there. It wasn’t long before Ren was  Afterwards they lay spent on the bed. Hux was the first to get up. He needed a shower, Ren’s cum was drying on his belly now and he was lucid enough to feel disgusted. His body felt heavy with exhaustion, so it was a fight to leave the bed at all, though. Beside him, Ren stirred as well.

“Join me?” he asked, unsure if Ren would take him up on that offer. They were both too tired to go another round, so he wasn’t entirely sure why he offered in the first place. However, he did and they showered as normal, just with company. It was almost nice, if a little awkward to navigate. The shower wasn’t small, it was built for multiple people, but he and Ren were both larger than average. They bumped shoulders a bit, and while Hux shouldn’t have been nervous to touch him he still jolted slightly at the contact. Hux finished first but he lingered to watch Ren. Truly, he was incredible to look at. He and Ren hadn’t discussed boundaries yet, but he tested one by reaching out and running a hand over Ren’s back. Ren, who’d been rinsing conditioner from his scalp, paused but made no move to remove Hux’s hand, or show any discomfort. Hux moved up to his shoulder blades, shoulders.

Ren turned to face him and Hux, still testing boundaries, leaned up to kiss him. Ren kissed him back easily, and Hux felt a knot in his stomach at the domesticity of it. What had gotten into him, he wondered, but he couldn’t dredge up much concern over the question. He pulled away gently and stepped out of the shower and dried off, then dressed quickly. Ren was soon to follow, and they both climbed into the bed with the lights out.

“Good night, Ren,” Hux said.

“Night,” Ren replied.

They were asleep in moments. Hux woke the next morning with Ren huddled against him, per usual, still with his arm tossed over his waist. Rather than squirm out of it Hux pushed closer until he was flush with Ren, chest to back. It felt odd, but he didn’t hate it. He’d never ‘spooned’ anyone before, and never understood the appeal, but he could now.

Eventually, he climbed out of bed and dressed unhurriedly. He sat on the chair and checked his datapad. Ren woke up not long after, though he just layed in bed rather than get up. He switched on the holo but didn’t pay any particular attention to it.

Hux glanced up at him.They needed to first discuss boundaries, and gather their bearing on what they were and what they expected.

“Ren,” Hux said.

“Hm?” Ren looked at him.

Hux took a breath. “Where do we stand, now?”

Ren looked a little surprised at the question. “I’m not sure. Wherever you like, I suppose.”

Hux frowned at him. Quite unhelpful, he thought.

“I assumed we were casual,” Ren said.

“We should set boundaries. Rules.”

Ren huffed. “Must we?”

Hux rolled his eyes. “Yes, we must. First, no marking anywhere that can’t be hidden. Second, we must use protection when there is penetration. Is there anything you’d like to add or discuss?”

Ren considered this. “No,” he said. “Well, I’d like to know when we can next do it again.”

Hux was a little annoyed that Ren didn’t want to further discuss, but he wasn’t sure what entirely he’d expected. Ren would settle things as they came, while Hux preferred a well planned approach more than anything. He could compromise. If anything bad happened it would just be an awkward situation, not defeat or death.

He stood up and approached the opposite side of the bed. “Come over here,” he said, patting the edge. Ren climbed across and sat with his legs over the edge. Hux leaned in and kissed him, his tongue immediately finding its way into Ren’s mouth. Ren’s hands immediately found Hux’s waist, automatic, like he’d done it a million times before. Perhaps he had in dreams. Hux wondered if Ren had thought about him sexually before yesterday.

“Yes,” Ren confirmed when they pulled away for air. Hux was annoyed by Ren listening to his mind, but curiosity won over.

“For how long?”

“I can’t say for sure. A year, perhaps more. It began with dreams I had of you.”

“What was I doing in these dreams?” Hux pushed his hands in Ren’s hair and moved his head so they were eye to eye. Ren’s fingers wandered over his torso, exploring him slowly.

“Speaking to me, touching me, kissing me at first. Then, things progressed. Usually it was images of you on your knees before me, or your hands around my cock. Then you were below me, writhing as you were last night. Sometimes in uniform, usually not.” Hux raised his eyebrow at that. “I dreamt of you frequently. You’re quite handsome, you know?”

Hux had never been called handsome before. It left an odd feeling in his gut, not exactly unpleasant. He wasn’t sure how to respond so he didn’t, electing instead to pull Ren in for another kiss. He moved one hand to Ren’s hair, the other to his lap. He traced over the outline of Ren’s cock with sure hands, then tugged down his trousers to touch him. He jerked him off lazily until he was fully erect, then dropped to his knees and began with his mouth. It was been some time since he’d sucked off another man but he started slow, taking Ren’s entire length into his mouth, letting himself relearn how to do it. Ren placed his hand on Hux’s face, tracing over his hallowed out cheek. He looked up and met Ren’s eyes, then hummed with Ren’s cock still in his mouth. Ren let out a broken gasp, and Hux sunk further onto him. He couldn’t take all of him into his mouth, unfortunately, but as he began moving he reciprocated with a hand working the base. Ren didn’t seem to mind. His head tipped back and he groaned freely. Hux used his free hand to take his own cock out. He hadn’t expected to be so turned on just by blowing Ren, but he was completely hard in his trousers already. He pulled off of Ren to spit in his hand, then began jerking himself off with the same rhythm he was using on Ren.

Ren watched him, pupils blown, with his bottom lip between his teeth. Hux moaned and moved faster. Ren was close, he could tell. Ren warned him with a string of broken words and a jerk of the hand fisted in his hair. Hux pulled off enough that Ren came over his tongue. He was fast behind Ren, finishing into his hand.

He climbed unsteadily to his knees and wobbled to the bathroom to wash up. When he re-entered the bedroom Ren was laying in bed looking quite pleased. Hux felt a sense of pride at that. He fell into bed beside him and sighed.

“If I’d known how good you were at that I might have slept with you sooner,” Ren muttered.

Hux scoffed. “I would not have even thought of sleeping with you before a few months ago.”

Ren looked slightly offended at the statement. “Why not?”

“You were intolerable then. Less so now.”

Ren was quiet for a moment, and Hux almost feared he’d hurt his feelings. But it was true.

“So you also believe Snoke was influencing me?”

“With the evidence presented, yes. You’re much calmer now that he’s dead.”

Ren adjusted his position so that he was half sat up, his arms behind his head. “My mother believed so as well. That Snoke was influencing me to turn me to the dark side.”

“If Snoke was turning you to the dark, are you light now.”

Ren shook his head. “I was never either. The Jedi and the Sith like to believe that the Force is polarizing, that you can only be one side or the other. The truth is that everyone is grey, or neutral, and it is only by training or your actions that you become dark or light. I was grey. I was balanced. Snoke unbalanced me.”

“Do you feel different since Snoke’s death?”

“Calmer, as you’ve said. But if you are correct and Snoke was influencing me, he made quite sure that I couldn’t tell.”

Hux reached over and placed his hand on Ren’s thigh. He always wondered if Snoke toyed with his mind, but Snoke seemed uninterested in Hux unless he was forcing him to run some errand for him so he didn’t think Snoke would. But the idea that he could unnerved him. The idea that any Force user with any modicum of skill, could make him do anything was unnerving.

“You haven’t altered my mind, have you?”

Ren chuckled. “No, I haven’t.”

“Why?”

Ren raised an eyebrow. “Do you wish for me to?” Ren asked. He started moving to straddle his lap, tossing one long leg over Hux’s thighs. He met Hux’s gaze and, with a fierce seriousness he said, “You will let me fuck you.”

Hux rolled his eyes. “You’re an idiot,” he said before pulling Ren in for a kiss. Ren pulled away from the kiss to tug Hux’s shirt off. After, he didn’t move closer but instead let his eyes take in Hux. Hux felt mildly self conscious, but Ren was already partially hard just from kissing and looking at him. Ren placed a hand on Hux’s cheek. His eyes flickered up to meet Hux’s and for a moment neither moved. A thought flashed in Hux’s mind. How could this be perceived as ‘casual’? Ren touching Hux like he wanted to memorize him, The way Hux’s heart felt like it was going to beat out of his chest. Hux had had casual sex before and it was nothing like this.

He didn’t dwell on it, though. Not when Ren immediately pulled Hux to him and began kissing him. He fell back on the bed and let Ren lick into his mouth as his hands moved down Hux’s body. He wasted no time in tugging Hux’s underwear off and touching his cock. He pulled away for a moment to spit into his hand, then began jerking Hux off until he was fully erect. Hux shivered, pushing his hips into Ren’s hand in earnest. Ren used his other hand to press onto Hux’s hips, keeping him from moving. Hux groaned at the feeling of being held still, of being manhandled. Ren recognized this and removed both hands from Hux and moved up to pin his hands to the bed. Hux swallowed hard, his arousal spiking when Ren pressed him into the bed.

“Gods, Ren,” he muttered, the words tumbling out of his mouth before he even realized he’s speaking. Ren only smirks as a reply. He sits back up but the cuffs remain, invisible as they pin him to the bed. He tugged on them experimentally but found them as sturdy as steel. He swallowed hard again. He was already fully hard, his cock hot where it lay leaking against his stomach. Ren didn’t touch it again. Rather, he then sat up and grabbed the lubricant off the nightstand.

He was careful as he prepared Hux. His long fingers worked him open slowly, even when Hux was bucking his hips he still went at a steady pace. Hux was growing impatient.

“Ren, please,” he begged, pushing his hips up. Ren licked his lips.

“Are you ready?”

“Yes, god Ren just get on with it,” he said, arching his back. Ren’s fingers ran over his protruding ribs, taking in the sight of Hux’s body with a predatory look. Hux shivered. “Please.”

Ren leaned forward and, after putting a barrier on and applying more lubrication, began pushing himself into Hux. It wasn’t pleasurable at all at first. Ren had done a fine job of opening him up but he always felt a little stretched at first. Ren was larger than average, certainly one of the biggest he’d ever taken. When Ren was fully seated he held still so he could adjust. Ren was slack jawed, eyes closed and breaths heavy. His fingers dug into Hux’s thighs as he willed himself not to move. As soon as the discomfort subsided Hux wriggled his hips and Ren was in motion once more.

It took a few tries but as soon as Ren hit his prostate he was arching in pleasure. He gritted out a moan, earning a firm hand on his cock Hux felt lost in the pleasure. Ren used his other hand to just touch Hux. It added a sensual layer, especially when he leaned down and kissed Hux like his life depended on it. Hux suddenly felt for a brief, split moment that the galaxy had been bereft of all it’s gravity, and that the points where Ren was touching him were the only things keeping him from tumbling into the infinite maw of nothingness. He pushed harder into him and found that his invisible ties had dissolved and wrapped his arms around Ren, feeling the sudden urge to be as close to him as possible.

Hux finished first, still clinging to Ren like it was life or death. But Ren was close behind and they rode out their orgasm with their lips still pressed against each others, though it was more a sharing of moans into each other’s mouths than it was a kiss anymore. Afterwards they laid in bed, Ren curled around Hux’s body like a bracket, neither willing to lose the physical contact.

He was entirely too comfortable under Ren’s heavy arm, his back pressed to Ren’s chest. An anxiety that had subtly been growing in his stomach suddenly curled around his heart. He swallowed hard and, rather than scoot away from Ren as it would have liked, he turned to face him. Ren wasn’t asleep but he was on his way to being so. When Hux shifted in his arms he opened his eyes lazily. Hux settled and met his gaze. A corner of Ren’s lips twitched upwards, a quick smile. Hux placed a hand on his cheek and kissed him, a single kiss before he moved back to settle in Ren’s arms. Ren allowed himself to smile for longer. It occured to Hux that this was the first time he’d seen Ren truly smile, and the anxiety loosened for something akin to fondness, even happiness.

He let his thumb brush over Ren’s nose and Ren’s eyes slipped shut once more. Behind Ren, the sun was setting on the city, bathing their room in a golden glow.

This time tomorrow they would be back on the ship. He wondered if things would be different on the ship, or if this whole endeavour was just some side effect of Coruscant, or this hotel room. It was a stupid thought, but Hux did wonder what would change once they were back on the ship. They’d mutually agreed that their intimate relationship was best left behind closed doors, but if this was more than something casual there was paperwork that needed to be filed. Not so soon into the relationship, but in the future, when things were more serious.

Ren suddenly snorted, and Hux scowled. “Are you in my head?”

“Apologies,” Ren said, a lilt of humor in his tone.

“What do you find so amusing, then?”

“The fact that your biggest concern about our relationship is the paperwork you’ll have to file.”

“I’m being practical. Not that you know anything about practicality.”

Ren chuckled. He rolled onto his back, removing his arm from his waist. Hux found himself disappointed at the loss of contact, even though they were still very close together.

“If you were listening to my thoughts, why don’t we discuss where we stand. I no longer believe that this whole venture is platonic.”

Ren looked over at him. “I care for you deeply, Hux. If you want honesty, here it is: I’ll be whatever you want me to be, as long as I am allowed to continue kissing you and touching you and being around you in general.”

It was more than Hux was expecting. The words shocked him into silence, and he wasn’t sure how to respond. He wasn’t quite as far Ren, but he certainly cared for him.

“Are we- should we be in a serious relationship then?” Hux was a gifted orator, though now he fumbled upon his words like a schoolboy. He was embarrassed for himself, but Ren didn’t seem to care.

“I would like that very much,” he said.

Hux leaned forward and kissed Ren again. It didn’t feel emotionally different from their previous kisses. Hux wasn’t expecting fireworks or anything like that, but he was expecting some sort of change. Perhaps, he thought, it meant nothing had truly changed between them. That they both already knew they cared for each other deeply before. Hux knew Ren had, now, at least. But before this all Hux had not even considered what he might feel for Ren because he never thought it would be a possibility that Ren would end up as his partner. He was simply a barrier to be stepped over in his pursuit to rule the galaxy. An impedance in his daily life.

He felt the coil of anxiety around his heart again as he considered what may happen in the future, but disregarded it. Hux hadn’t made it this far in his life by not taking risks, and this was one that he was more than happy to take.

~

The morning sun found them still in bed, asleep, curled around each other. Hux was the first to wake. He climbed out from underneath Ren’s arm and stretched his body. He needed a shower. He and Ren had spent their entire evening and much of the night in various sexual positions and he was sure his stench reflected that. He would be back on his ship in just a few hours, he needed to make himself look like a leader again, not some whore that had been fucked within an inch of his life.

He cleaned himself quickly before climbing out. Ren was awake, nursing a cup of caf. Hux greeted him with a kiss and the recommendation that he shower as well. Ren heeded it, and returned twenty minutes later clean. Hux was straightening out his uniform in the mirror. Ren dressed quietly. When they were both fully dressed, Hux turned around to face him. He placed a hand on Ren’s cheek and kissed him. “We’ll both be busy when we board the ship, but come to my quarters tonight.”

Ren nodded and kissed him once more before they started packing their things away.

~

A cab took them to their transport vessel, which returned them to the Finalizer. Hux was almost sad to be leaving the planet, which made him want to laugh. He was glad to be busy once more, though. Lieutenant Mitaka gave him a detailed briefing, as well as reports from other generals and an update on the training of the next batch of Stormtroopers. After that, Hux went to the bridge and received coordinates. With their donation from Tersu Hux intended to upgrade the _Finalizer’s_ weapons systems. That was his next project. He began planning on his datapad while they prepared to leave the atmosphere of Coruscant.

It was only a few hours before Hux’s work cycle ended. He wasn’t tired in the least. It would be a couple of days before he readjusted to the day/night cycle on the ship.

Ren was already in his quarters when he arrived, looking quite comfortable lounging in his bed. Being the Supreme Leader he now had access codes to every door in the ship. That had annoyed Hux at one point. It still slightly did.

“Evening, Ren,” he said.

“General,” Ren said, a hint of amusement in his tone. His hands were folded on his stomach and he tracked Hux’s movements with his eyes as he crossed the room.

Hux wondered if this was how it would be now. It was nice to not return to his dark, empty quarters after his shift. To have a warm body to curl up against rather than a cold bed. It was odd, he thought. Before this venture he never minded how vacant his quarters used to be, until he shared a bed with Ren and discovered the joys of sleeping with someone who cared about him. This could be applied to many aspects of his life, he realized.

When he was out of his uniform he climbed onto the bed beside Ren and let the tension leave his body.

Hux had never been in love before. He couldn’t even say with certainty that he’d ever loved anything at all. It was far too soon to say that he loved Ren, he knew that much, but he could see himself loving Ren. He certainly loved the way Ren looked at him like he was the most perfect thing in the universe. Or the way Ren instinctively drew close to Hux even in his sleep. He knew things wouldn’t be this wonderful forever, but if Ren stayed as he was now, nonvolatile and somewhat sensible- if somewhat socially inept, he had no qualms about working through whatever predicament they might find themselves in.

He climbed up and pressed a kiss to Ren’s lips. Ren’s hands found his waist and he pulled Hux closer to him, which Hux obliged to easily. He felt excited. Not just about the kiss, or the sex, but for the future in general. For the first time since the Starkiller exploded and Ren acquiesced Snoke’s throne, he was excited to see what the universe held for him.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed this! Please leave a kudos or comment if you did. Or follow me on Tumblr at [Mcusekat](http://desertsongs.co.vu) or my writing Tumblr (where I post shorter fics) at [Raestus](http://raestus.tumblr.com). Thank you!


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